At the summit of Chäserrugg mountain
Anybody looking to combine a skiing trip with some architectural gems will be in their element at the top of the Chäserrugg in Switzerland. A tour of this award-winning building designed by Herzog & de Meuron gives an insight into sustainable construction methods at a height of 2,262 metres.
The fire is crackling in the free-standing wood burner, with comfy sofas upholstered in natural shades and also a few simple wooden stools grouped around it. Like in a traditional farmhouse, the fireplace is the inviting centrepiece of the interior design. The simplicity of the furnishings allows the natural wood to dominate, and the spaciousness of the room can take full effect. Looking out through the expansive windows, you can see the panorama of the Appenzell Alps stretching across the vista. This spectacular summit building was constructed in 2015 on top of the Chäserrugg, the easternmost peak in the Churfirsten mountain range. It is among the most notable wooden buildings in Switzerland, and indeed throughout the entire mountainous Alpine landscape.
1,200 journeys by cable car
When it came to the actual construction of this building at a height of 2,262 metres, the logistics posed one of the biggest challenges. With the exception of the crane, which was carried up by helicopter, everything was delivered via cable car. In total, it took 1,200 journeys to deliver the 3,600 tonnes of materials – including 2,000 cubic metres of Swiss spruce and fir wood.
The new summit station is constructed in wood on a concrete foundation. It was prefabricated by local craftspeople in the valley and assembled on top of the mountain in the course of a summer.
Herzog & de Meuron, architects
A design using timber construction and local companies such as Blumer Lehmann were chosen to uphold local building traditions and keep transport to a minimum. “The new summit station is constructed in wood on a concrete foundation. It was prefabricated by local craftspeople in the valley and assembled on top of the mountain in the course of a summer. The interior was completed the following winter,” explained Herzog & de Meuron, the architectural firm responsible for planning and constructing this modern mountain hut.
Cosy loft on Chäserrugg mountain peak
The restaurant extends down a long, loft-like room that is shaped by the repetitive character of its roof structure. Spruce beams running crosswise are both load-bearing and also ornamental. They maintain the room’s uncomplicated and cosy feeling despite its size. “The low-hung roof resting on closely placed columns is the dominant element of the building with a covered terrace in front,” reads the project description by its international architects, who are headquartered in Basle.
The low-hung roof resting on closely placed columns is the dominant element of the building with a covered terrace in front.
Herzog & de Meuron, architects
Glazed on three sides, the room offers sweeping views of the impressive mountain scenery. Niches on the fourth side are fitted with dining tables and fixed benches, and each has a window that provides a private view of the Alpine panorama. This summit building has won multiple awards, including the Hochparterre architecture prize and also the Prix Lignum, which honours the innovative and trailblazing use of timber in structures, interior design, furniture and artworks.
Resource-friendly construction
Throughout the building process, there was a focus on handling resources with due awareness. The excavated soil was treated and used as gravel for the concrete. This is not just a valid approach for the Alpine mountains, it would also be worthwhile for climate-friendly construction in general.
To keep the footprint of the structure at a minimum, it is based on three strip foundations for the smallest possible intervention in the mountain topography. This is just one of the facts you learn on an architectural tour of the summit building, which can also be booked for group events.
A day’s skiing with architectural highlights
Visitors to the Toggenburg ski area in Eastern Switzerland are now able to enjoy an athletic tour of several constructions by Herzog & de Meuron. In the same year that the summit building opened, the new 10-person gondola for Espel-Stöfeli-Chäserrugg was also inaugurated.
The structures designed for the base, middle and top stations of this gondola are especially simple and unassuming. Using elements of an industrial barn, and deliberately forgoing any of the large advertising boards encountered so often at ski lifts, the architecture takes a backstep, putting the landscape centre stage.
Herzog & de Meuron also designed Espel Pavilion, constructed in 2017, for the base station of Stöfeli Cable Lift. This unpretentious, rectangular timber construction adopts the language of the neighbouring barns and stables, fitting in respectfully with the surrounding scenery. The wooden facade creates a link between this later construction and the Chäserrugg summit building.
Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Photos: Katalin Deér/Prix Lignum 2018, Toggenburg Bergbahnen AG, Switzerland Tourism/André Meier